play of words
play of words noun: the ordering of words in a text, speech, etc., taking regard for both the individual words (their meanings, sounds, etc.) and the interplay between them. Also the alternative form of play on words.
Noun
play of words (plural plays of words)
- The ordering of words in a text, speech, etc., taking regard for both the individual words (their meanings, sounds, etc.) and the interplay between them.
- Great is Diana of the Epheſians, and great is the uſe of the word Church, when good Crafts-maſters have the handling of it; and of all Men thoſe of Rome have ſucceeded beſt at this play of words.1683, William Atwood, Three Letters to Dr. Sherlock Concerning Church-communion, Jonathan Robinson, page 16
- At the outset the reader is fascinated by the complex surface play of words. In the poem 'Paraphrase' the play of words is likened to the play of imagery on the surface of a lake; words 'beckon' and 'whisper', luring the reader towards an undisclosed meaning or goal.1988, Span, Issue 26, University of Queensland, page 104
Also used as
play of words is also the alternative form of play on words.
Forms of play of words
| plural | plays of words |
|---|
Questions about play of words
- What does play of words mean?
- Play of words means the ordering of words in a text, speech, etc., taking regard for both the individual words (their meanings, sounds, etc.) and the interplay between them.
- What part of speech is play of words?
- Play of words is a noun.
- What is the plural of play of words?
- The plural of play of words is plays of words.
Words near play of words in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: play of words (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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